


No More Farewell

by Vizkopa



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Reader Insert, op
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-03-16 06:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3478508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vizkopa/pseuds/Vizkopa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>After twelve long years, you thought your heart had finally given up.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler Warning for those not caught up with the manga or latest arc.

Dressrosa – the land of love, passion and toys. 

It had been a long time since you had last stepped onto it shores and breathed in the thick, balmy air. You were not sure exactly what had brought you here. It had been a whim brought on by the tiniest glimpse, a blurred face in the background of the background of a photograph in the newspaper. It could have easily been a coincidence, or your mind playing tricks, but all the same it made that last spark of hope that had not yet gone out flare brighter than it ever had.

After twelve long years, you thought your heart had finally given up. You had searched every corner of the world – North Blue, South Blue, West Blue. You must have combed every last drop of the salty sea you called home in the East and now you could not be sure how many of them had been your own tears. 

You scanned the crowds of swooning couples and chattering toys, but nothing stood out. Of course, you did not know exactly what it was you were looking for. It had been twelve years – people changed, though it did not stop you from straining your eyes to catch that trademark top hat you had missed so much.

_There!_

A flash of blue, a glimpse of that wide, cheeky smile that sent waves of nostalgia crashing into you. I couldn’t be… And yet it was. Twelve years of hoping, of crying and of searching had culminated into this very moment – a moment that was gone in the blink of an eye and the well-timed passing of a particularly rowdy group. By the time they had passed, he was gone. 

Or was never there in the first place.

“No!” you cried out. “Wait!”

Your eyes remained on the place you had spotted the phantom as you pushed through the throng of people. They shot angry glares your way, but you ignored them, too distracted to care. Had it really been him? Or had you just been chasing ghosts all these years?

You reached the spot you had glimpsed that face, so familiar and yet unfamiliar, alien almost. You stopped to catch your breath and felt the brush of warm air against the back of your neck, the whisper of fingers against your arm that sent hairs standing to attention with static. Heart pounding, you whirled around, eyes searching. It almost stopped altogether as you caught a pair of midnight blue coat tails disappearing around a distant corner. You did not hesitate to follow, feet pounding against the cobblestone in time to your rapid pulse.

You ran through the streets guided by the whisper of blue coat tails, the hollow tapping of a lead pipe and the sound of familiar, mischievous laughter that echoed from the stone-walled alleys. You were beginning to grow tired, a sharp twinge growing between your ribs as you gasped for breath. But your pursuit soon came to an end. Literally.

You groaned as you came to face to face with a blank brick wall. Just as you always did. You turned to leave, but a scuffling caught your attention, and a figure stepped into view, silhouetted against the sunlit entrance to the alley. You swallowed hard, unsure whether to fight or run, but as it turned out, you need not take either option.

“Long time no see,” said a soft voice, deeper than you remembered, but familiar all the same. “[Name].”

“ _Sabo_ ,” you breathed. He strode forward, away from the blinding entrance so that you could look upon his face. It was older, as to be expected, and a pink, knotted scar marked the left side, but it was unmistakably him.

“Twelve years…” you whispered, struggling to keep your voice calm. The entirety of your body trembled as you lifted a hand to his face…

And promptly slapped him.

“Twelve years, you ass!” you cried, hands clenching into fists at you sides.

Sabo cringed, holding his smarting cheek. “Not the reunion I was expecting, but I guess I deserved that,” he grimaced.

“Damn right you deserved it. Twelve years and not a word! Where the hell have you been all this time? I thought you were dead!”

He looked at you with gentle eyes. “We both know you didn’t believe that, [Name],” he said. “As for where I was… That’s a long story for another time.”

“Why did you never try to contact me?”

“Oh, I dropped you plenty of hints. You always came running, no matter how subtle.” He smiled absently.

You gaped at him in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that you've been purposefully leading me on a wild goose chase across the seas… for twelve fucking years?” Your voice was calm but deadly, your eyes hidden beneath the shadow of your furrowed brow. A bead of sweat appeared at Sabo’s temple as he took a tentative step backwards. “Why,” you began, voice beginning to tremble with rage. “Did you not reveal yourself before now?”

“It just… never felt like the right time,” he said, rubbing the back of his head as casting his eyes away. 

When you did not reply he looked up, only to be met with a fist rapidly approaching his face. He ducked out of the way, but the barrage continued forcing him to either block your attacks or continue dodging. He did so with ease and watched you with amusement and you knew that he could tell your swings were only half hearted. When you had him backed against the alley wall, he caught your hands easily and tugged. You let yourself fall against his heaving chest with a quiet huff. Sabo chuckled.

“Am I forgiven now?”

“Not even close,” you said, pressing yourself closer and wrapping your arms about his waist. Your head rested against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath and the steady beat of his heart – the only proof you needed to know he was no ghost.

He chuckled again and wrapped his own arms tightly around your shoulders. “I missed you, you know? All of you.”

“No more than we missed you. That day… it was hard on all of us. Ace especially…”

“Ace…” Sabo whispered. “I should have been there when he…” His voice caught in his throat. “Maybe things could have been different.”

“Perhaps,” you said. “But what’s past is past. Luffy will want to see you.”

“I know. He can wait just a little longer. You and I have some catching up to do first.”

You looked up to meet his gaze and smiled, tears spilling from the corners of your eyes. He caught you by surprise by capturing your lips with his own, brushing the tears from your cheeks with the callused pads of his thumbs. It was long and sweet, and when he pulled away, you were both left breathless. He smiled.

“I’ve been waiting twelve years for that.”

_No farewell could be the last one  
If you long to meet again..._


End file.
